


Escaping sleep

by Windfighter



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: M/M, Sorry Emil, Sorry Lalli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 10:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18313544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windfighter/pseuds/Windfighter
Summary: "How long has it been since you've slept?"The question remains unanswered, but they both know the answer anyway."Too long."





	Escaping sleep

Lalli stumbled over his boots as he entered the apartment. Emil was sitting at the table, breakfast served, and watched him as he sank down on one of the chairs.

”You look like hell”, Emil said.

Lalli shrugged, grabbed some of the scrambled eggs and started eating.

”I'm serious”, Emil continued. ”Your hair is a mess, not that you care, your clothes are a mess and you look like you haven't slept for _weeks_. Lalli, are you listening?”

Lalli stiffled a yawn, bit himself in the cheek and clenched his hands to not rub his eyes.

”How long has it been since you've slept?”

Lalli shrugged again, glaced at Emil for the first time since entering the house.

”You don't look peachy either”, he said.

Lalli yawned, unable to stop it this time. Emil rolled his eyes.

”If my best friend didn't ignore his health as much as he does, maybe I'd be able to sleep better.”

Silence. Lalli finished his food, noticed Emil hadn't touched his own and tilted his head.

”...how long has it been since _you've_ slept?”

”It doesn't matter”, Emil waved him off. ”Go get some sleep, I have to get to work soon.”

Emil got up, put his plate into the fridge and started cleaning up after preparing the food. His clothes hung slightly loose on his frame and Lalli blinked, uncertain if the lack of sleep made him imagine it. He put his plate in the sink and tried to push Emil away.

”You prepared, I clean.”

”Lalli, it's okay, I can do this.”

”We agreed.”

”You need to”, Emil yawned, ”to sleep.”

”You too. Have you looked in a mirror?”

Emil huffed.

”You're not allowed to say anything. At least I have matching socks.”

Lalli blinked, looked at his feet and then looked at Emil again. He wanted to argue, but decided not to. He pushed at Emil again.

”Go sleep, you don't have to leave for another two hours.”

”It's...” Emil's hands moved in the water and he winced. ”Helvete!”

The water turned red and Lalli's eyes widened, he reached for the towel but Emil was quicker, wrapped it around his hand and smiled at Lalli.

”It's okay.”

Emil's eyes was so tired. Lalli rubbed his own eyes, shook his head and forced Emil to sit down again. Emil leaned his head to the table and Lalli sat down as well.

”...Is it nightmares?”

Emil tensed up, then let out a sigh.

”Yeah... for you too?”

Lalli hesitated before nodding. Emil removed the towel from his hand, frowned and wrapped it around the hand again. Lalli rolled his eyes, fetched the first aid-kit they kept in the bathroom and returned.

”How bad?”

Emil didn't get a chance to answer before Lalli grabbed his hand and threw the towel to the floor. Pretty bad, he would have to stitch it up. Emil shot him an apologetic smile and Lalli went to work. They had stitched each other up so many times it was second nature to them. Emil didn't trust the medics after Mikkel and Lalli didn't want anyone else touching him. He stitched the wound up, wrapped a bandage around Emil's hand before putting the kit away again.

”I'm calling you in sick.”

Emil was still leaning against the table, his eyes half-closed but still following Lalli.

”Only if you call yourself in sick as well. You need to rest.”

”I'm fine.”

” _How long has it been since you slept?_ ”

Lalli looked away.

”Don't remember.”

”Then you're staying home as well. Just for a couple of days.”

”Won't help.”

”We'll see.”

Emil smiled tiredly, yawned and got up from the chair. He squeezed Lalli's shoulder as he passed him.

”Come to bed when you're done with the call.”

Lalli nodded. Emil disappeared into the bedroom and Lalli made the call before slipping after him. Emil had burrowed under two blankets already and Lalli frowned, not sure when Emil had started using a second blanket. He was about to slip onto the mattress under the bed when Emil blinked and looked at him.

”I said come to _bed._ ”

He moved away to make room for Lalli and Lalli hesitated.

”I won't bite. Just... Just for today?”

There was something in Emil's voice and Lalli crawled into bed, rolled up with his back against Emil and Emil wrapped around him, let Lalli use his arm as pillow. The arm was less soft than it used to be.

”You need to eat more”, Lalli muttered into it and Emil squeezed him tighter.

”You too”, he whispered into Lalli's hair.

”We're not gonna be able to fall asleep like this.”

”Maybe not.”

But within ten minutes they were both asleep.

 


End file.
